Ungapunga by Mark G Melvin

Ungapunga 

         I traveled to Africa years ago I met a man named Siswayu who told me this story about two friends of his.It still freaks me out to this day.So I thought I woud share it with you.

       At aboout 5 years of age Tomanas and Yohan had come to America with their parents who had been missionaries. Upon their arrival their parents were killed in a horrific tragedy. They were stuck by a semi-trailer running a red light in a crosswalk. So Tomanas and Yohan were raised by their grandparents. Their grandparents were way to far out of shape to chase them around so Tomanas pretty much got away with his torturing assaults upon his younger brother Yohan.

     One evening in the dead of night the boys grandparents were medicinally sleeping soundly at the other end of the house with the door closed and locked. Yohan began to feel wet and slowly awake,while dreaming of his parents telling him God wants us to be able to forgive one another. 

     “Ah! Ah! Let me go! Let me go you insolent bastard!” Yohan had awakened to his mouth being stuffed with a filthy gym sock being covered with tape. Tomanas danced around the bed with a bowl on top of his head with a wooden spoon clanging a mop bucket in his hands. Dancing wildly like a raving madman tossing dispersements of water onto his captive brother Yohan. Hanging their pet rat over his body by his Wugunda an Bomboto. Teasing the rat into biting his Bomboto. Yohan wiggled and wiggled to get free but could not. Tomanas had taken the time to tie him up with grandfathers rope from the garage. All night he smacked him in the head and face with the spoon.Allowing not the comfort to relieve himself. Yohan soiled the bed. Eventually by morning he fell asleep awakening to the freedom of movement. Upon leaving to school grandfather asked,”what is that smell?” While at school the two were placed into In School Suspension for getting into a fistfight with one another. The teacher before leaving the two brothers in the classroom all alone gave them rules to follow.

     “Boys don’t you get up out of your seats and please do not mess with the fish bowl. I will be back in a minute.”

     “Ok,”both of the boys said. Tomanas jumped up out of his chair to be sure the teacher had gone out of the hallway. Yohan sat quietly reading Mad Monkey Diaries Amazing Torment/Do not Disturb. Tomanas danced skipping and hopping all over the room.

      ”Awu wu wu wu wu ! A ye ye ye ye ye! Wee!” Standing by the fish bowl he smiled devilishly. Tomanas poured the the water out of the fish bowl an sat it onto the floor. He then urinated into the fishbowl. He then turned over every desk upside down. The teacher returned shortly.

      ”Oh my,” she gasped. “Boys turn these desk right side up right now! Ha!Which one of you pead into my fish bowl?” Pointing at one another,’he did it!” The boys said at the same time.

 ”Bad bad boys! The principal will hear of this! I’m sure that you will both be suspended because of this!” The brothers were suspended. Most of the years after that even into adult life Tomanas was  the constant joker. Yohan was quiet and subdued dismissing his brothers playful antics. A day came when Yohan was reading through his dads diary and came upon a ritual back in Africa. The ritual was called “Ungapunga.” He read and studied them. Upon memorizing them Yohan tore out and burned the pages of the “Ungapunga” ritual.

     A family friend from home came to visit by the name of Siswayu. Siswayu was a tall caramel colored African warrior man. He was well over 6 feet tall. Siswayu and his tribe were known to run at least 22 miles per hour. The day Siswayu arrived the boys sat out back and had a campfire reminiscing their younger days in Africa.Siswayu told them of all the old ways they had forgotten but not all.  The fire burned and the men conversed.

     “You know back home inferior men are not allowed to reproduce.”

     “What do you mean?” Tomanas interrupted abruptly. Siswayu studied Tomanas’s face curiously almost as if smelling him.

     ”If you have a small Bomboto or you are deformed or do not grow strong. Your are not allowed to marry for fear the child will not be the strongest of warriors. If you are not a strong warrior you can not defend the tribe.”

“Wow!” Tomanas exclaimed. “If that were in America there would be a lot more sex starved men than there is already,” said Toamanas.

     “Well it applies to the woman as well,”said Siswayu. Do not worry Tomanas we fix some of the inferior men into women to be sexual slaves for the others.”

     “Wow! Are you serious?!” Yelled Tomanas.

     “Very!” Siswayu responded.

     “Yohan you are so quiet.” Siswayu stated with much concern.

     ”What’s the point of even speaking with Tomanas around.”

     ”What do you mean brother,” asked Siswayu instantly waiting for Yohans response

Yohan studied Siswayus face as well as his brothers thinking deeply with much concern. Running through the myriad of horrors Tomanas had put him through throughout the years in his mind.

     “Come now brother you can tell me,what did Tomanas do to you?”

     “Well. Well all of our lives Tomanas has beat me tortured me tied me up and he beat me blaming me for things I did not do! I can not tell you the trouble I have been in behind his pranks and his lies! Yohan then sat sobbing in tears.”

     “Tomanas,”said Siswayu with firmness. “Why oh why would you do your brother like this? Like a complete stranger as if you knew him not. Is this true? Tomanas is this true?” Siswayu stood up walking toward Tomanas standing over him like a tall tree.

     “Tomanas if I were you, you had better to answer me now before this turns physical.You can not most definitely out fight me. You most certainly are not fast enough to run away.” Tomanas sat on the ground by the fire, with his head down, both afraid of Siswayu,an ashamed, of what he had done, to his own brother,and that now it was  made known.

     “Yes it is true,” said Tomanas reluctantly.

     “What is the worst most terrible thing you have ever done to your brother? Come now speak truth,” asked Siswayu angrily and forcefully?

     ”I fed him buggers.”

     ”Come now, that can not be the all of it!”

     ”I had sex with his girlfriend.”

     ”Come now, all of it!”

     ”Okay okay!” Tomanas said with intense aggravation. ”I set him up to go to jail for something I had done specifically so that I could have sex with his girlfriend!” Tomanas screamed.

     ”Come now, the worst, give me the worst?” Tomanas now an emotional wreck in getting all of this truth out, with Siswayu standing over him. He took a deep breath for the last one. Tomanas began to speak,”I tied him upside down in the closet in a sleeping bag and kicked him in the head…repeatedly. I also left him there, for at least an hour.” Yohan sat sobbing uncontrolably.

     ”I want you two to face each other, look into one anothers eyes! Yohan can you forgive him?” Yohan paused thinking and reflecting back upon his abuse.

     ”No!” Yohan said sobbing between words.

     ”I can not forgive him.”

     ”F you bitch!” Screamed Tomanas in extreme anger. Yohan jumped back falling onto the ground in absolute fear of his brother the tormentor. Siswayu jumped between them. Tomanas knew better than to play around with the large fully grown warrior Siswayu.

Siswayu stood by the fire and began beating his own chest with his fist.

     ”I am Siswayu this is a family wrong, we shall settle it in “Ungapunga!”

     “What is Ungapunga?” Tomanas asked with a slight hint of  fear, of the unkown  in his voice trembling,and stuttering with curiosity.

     ”It is the method prescribed in the Intoque. It is fair, it is justice. Justice for you both,”said Siswayu. Come now gather your things we will travel to Africa to settle your differences.” Siswayu told the brothers.

     “Hell no! Why do we have to go to Africa to settle?! F dat!” Cried Tomanas.

     “Tomanas, Tomanas, are you afraid,are you?” Siswayu said most tauntingly.

     “Hell no I aint afraid a nothin!”

     ”Well then…lets go!” Siswayu responded.

     “Ok! Ok!” Tomanas yelled back to Siswayu. The brothers along with Siswayu took the journey back home back to Africa. They traveled deep,deep into the jungle one hundred miles from anything in any direction.The leaves on the trees were huge. Vines and vegetable growth on top of growth. So much green around so thick and lush you could hide an army unseen two feet in front of you.Animals ranging from monkeys to gorillas to leopards and elephants. Amazing beauty.People there were scantly dressed in waist covered garmets only. Very traditional tribal people with facial tattoos and body piercings and paintings. The people were cordial and friendly and the warriors most fierce.

     The evening came and there was a large ceremonial fire,with drumming and dancing.  A large festive celebration for the return of Tomanas and Yohan  finally back home to the motherland. Even though they were not black in color nor ancestry, they were born into the tribe an accepted as such. The time of the ceremony, of return, both brothers were stripped of the western clothes. They under went traditional tribal body markings and tattooing. Both of their heads were shaven clean. Yohan and Tomanas both understood the tribal language yet the tribal elders spoke a ciphered dialect unknown to others.

     During the ceremony Tomanas’s curiousity had got the better of him. The drumming stopped and he yelled loudly asking,”What is Ungapunga?” The tribe all stopped talking. Everyone stared at Tomanas. The tribal elders looked upon each other in amazement. The women whispered amongst themselves. The children ran away to their huts.Siswayu stood and spoke in the ciphered dialect of the elders. He stood speaking loudly an angrily. All listened with the greatest intent. Once he had done this all of the celebration stopped. The whole tribe entered into their huts, and no one came out until the next day.

     Bright an early the next morning before sun up the chief dug into the center of the tribal fire after it went out about four feet deep. He pulled out what appeared to be the stump of a tree. The chief opened the stump removing what looked like the carcass of a hyena.Night time came as Tomanas sleep soundly in his bed.

     “Get off of me! Get off of me!” Wiggling and trying hard to free himself yet the warriors were too strong for Tomanas. Taking him kicking and screaming to the tribal fire. He was tied upside down to a pole. All of the tribal elders circled the fire. The chief holding a wooden book trimmed in brass.

     The fire roared and the tribe came out of their huts and began to circle the tribal fire. The chief yelled one word,”Intoque!” Silence grew even more still. Tomanas  cried upon the pole upside down before the fire.A half dead carcass looking like a dog hyena hybrid held in the hands of Siswayu. Siswayu danced around the fire with the carcass yelling and screaming indignities. Tomanas listened as he cried hearing all of the terrible things he had done to his brother being  yelled around the fire.

     The chief spoke from the book. Women from the tribe stood up with baskets and bowls of fruit paste an oil. They disrobed Tomanas and rubbed his entire body in oil, and the fruit paste.

     “What are you doing to me? I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! Yohan Yohan help me, help me!” The drummer became gradually louder. The people began to whisper Ungapunga, Ungapunga, Ungapunga, as the chief spoke from the book.The blood rushing to Tomanas’s head felt as if he were about to burst. Looking at everything  upside down naked being rubbed with oil. Siswayu continued to dancing around the tribal fire screaming everything Tomanas had ever done to Yohan. Yohan was no where in Tomanas’s sight. The tribes whisper turned from a chant to a yell, and then the whole tribe rose to their feet screaming Ungapunga Ungapunga! Ungapunga! The drummer drumming fast and frantic.

     The chiefs wife stepped forward with a knife. She approached him slowly in the midsts of madness cutting a thin line from the back of his neck to the top of his ass. The chief  raised his hand an all stopped and the tribe switched from screaming Ungapunga to Intoque, Intoque, Intoque. Siswayu threw the carcass into the fire, and the crowd silenced. Tomanas stared at it deeply. To his amazement a creature stepped forward from the fire whole. It had shiny jet black looking black eyes,ravenous teeth larger than an adult male lion. The creature stared at him studying him. The creature slowly step by step walked over toward Tomanas, as he shivered in fear it licked his face. The tribe again began chanting the whisper of Intoque, Intoque, Intoque.

     “Stop listen! Listen one listen all! Siswayu talked loudly to the crowd. A brother has been wronged. The victim has called for justice! The Intoque has been opened.The reasoning has been established! The Chuloso has been summoned! Release the accused!” Tomanas was cut down as the creature stood  and stared at him viciously.

     “Tomanas! You have a one day head start, to escape thru the edge of the jungle, and over the mountain! After one day the warriors will follow if they catch you they will return you to the village to recieve Ungapunga! If the warriors do not capture you the second day the Chuloso creature will follow and if it captures you, it will consume you, and you will serve its desire of torment for all days. In the Valley of the Desert,of the Condemned.Where the Chuloso will excrement you out of his body,whole,and without skin. You will be bred for agony,to right the wrong you have done.

     Tomanas crying profoundly,”where is Yohan? Where is my brother Yohan?!” Tomanas yelled.

     “Do not worry of Yohan, if I were you I would worry of meself.” Siswayu said confidently.

     “I am not leaving anywhere, to run to anyplace, until someone tells me what Ungapunga is!”

     ”I don’t think that you would really want to know,”said Siswayu to Tomanas.

     “Ungapunga is our tribal translation for, “The Karmadic.” In our tribal custom,if you are caught, you will be brought back here,and have your Bomboto removed. You will live out the rest of your days as a woman, to be the sexual servant to the men who cannot marry.

The exact words from the Intoque are, “Karmadic Justice, is everything you have done, will be done to you.” Siswayu said commandingly.

     “What is this berry fruit paste?”

     ”It is so the Chuloso creature can smell you.”

      “What?! Oh! Somebody! Anybody! Help me! Have mercy?!” Tomanas screamed from the top of his lungs,breathing profusely into a panic attack of despair..Tomanas distraught and deathly afraid began to sprint into the jungle. The tribe began to chant in rhythm with the drum, Ungapunga, Ungapunga, Ungapunga. Naked and slippery Tomanas fell down more than he could run. He saw his brother Yohan not to far from the village.Standing slightly hidden beside a tree appearing as if he were hiding,watching.

     “Brother! Brother! I am so sorry, please, please help me?” Yohan hugged his brother and they both cried.

      ”Lets hurry and get you out of here Tomanas!” Yohan felt sorry for Tomanas.He helped him to stand up in the jungle. The bugs were attracted to the paste. Yohan had to constantly swipe the large jungle insects off of his brother Tomanas. The deeper they went the monkeys were biting at his body as the fruit paste was there favorite fruit. Bug bites were beginning to break Tomanas down. They could not stop to break until they reached the jungles edge.

      The closer they came to the edge the ants began to smell his presence. Tomanas became angry.

     “This is all because of you! You little pussy! I can not believe you brought me out here to be subjected to this!”

      ”You are not innocent my brother!” Screamed Yohan. Tomanas stood up at the edge of the jungle treeline standing face to face with Yohan so close they butted noses. Tomanas was raging mad breathing deeply.Tomanas pointing his finger into Yohans face,”when we get home I am going to do things to your pussy ass more horrible than before. More horrible than you can imagine! I am going to Intoque your ass ..brother,”Tomanas said in utter disgust, defiance, and contempt of Yohan.

     Tomanas knowing that his brother Yohan was deathly afraid of him, moved abrubtly to frighten him as if he were to strike him. Yohan flinched, and jumped back cowering in fear. Tomanas grinned, and laughed spitting into Yohan’s face.”Pussy!” Tomanas turned and said,”lets go..bitch.” Yohan yelled,” look out!”As Tomanas turned to see what,Yohan struck him in the back of the head, rendering him completely,and utterly unconscious.

     Yohan tied his brother tightly, and securely, to a tree,when he awoke, he was alone, and could here the footsteps, of the warriors searching into his direction.He had been asleep for almost two days.Tomanas begged to be let go before the warriors came.Yohan walked up to his ear and whispered “Ungapunga!You will be the bitch now! Bitch!” Slapping Tomanas in the face.The warriors drew closer and closer as Tomanas tried crying on the tree desperately to free himself.Biting at the rope gnawing thrashing around for dear life.Bleeding and sweating himself into exhaustion.Desperately trying anything he could humanly possibly do, to get away.

     Tormented by the bugs crawling all over his body wiggling and stuck in utter despair.He begged,into Yohans deafened ears, while agony settled in.Tomanas stopped, and at the tiring of his every muscle,he could move no more. He limped into stillness.His chest moving up and down trying desperately to catch his breath. The bugs crawled into every single orofice of his entire body.Sweat dripped from his face as his head leaned and rested against the tree in acknowledgment to his defeat. He gave up.His eyes gazed wearily into his brothers,now he was defeated,completely,an absolutely broken.

     Yohan turned aside,turning his back on his brother and left. Tomanas too tired for words,barely lifted his hand, in a last attempt  to reach out to Yohan, and to tired, it fell against the roughness, of the tree.Yohan caught glimpse of the warriors,and began furiously waving his hands,jumping up and down screaming ”Hey! Hey! Here he is, over here!”

     The warriors came,with their shield and feathers in their headdress,spears out.The spears where so sharp and shiny they gleamed in the sun.Their faces painted in red and black stripes,some all white as ghosts.Siswayu step through the assembly of warroirs to the front.All spears pointed at Tomanas.

     “Yohan!” Siswayu shouted forcefully with anger trembling in his voice. His eyebrows sunken down.

     “Yes.” He replied timidly cowering in fear.

     “You have gone against the book! You have made dirty the tribal way!”Siswayu turned walking slowly to him thinking.

     “Warriors! Seize him!” Tomanas stared in horror!

     “Release Tomanas! Siswayu stood facing away from Tomanas.

     “Tomanas!”

     “Yes Siswayu!”

     “Go!”

     “Go?! Go Where Siswayu?!” Tomanas said bewildered and confused.

     “The book says you have the second day to out run the the beast,the Chuloso,of which you only have a few moments left before it is released.” Tomanas tiredly limped away.

     “What of me?! What of me?!” Yohan screamed bound in arms by the warriors.Shaking like a palm tree in a fierce storm.

     “For your trechory and deception you shall recieve The Ungapunga!”Siswayu said smiling happily,grinning with delight.

     “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Yohan screamed in full kowledge knowing the torment he had tried so hard to give had now become his own. He had thoughts of his parents warning them of God wanting mankind to forgive one another.

     “You do not go against the book.” Siswayu said with reverance is his tone.

     The warriors lifted him into the air by his body over their heads chanting Ungapunga,Ungapunga,Ungapunga!Tomanas stopped when he heard the warriors chanting and his brother screaming.He wanted to help,but with the beast pursuing him very shortly their was absolutely nothing he could do.

     Tomanas made his way through the jungle. A few hours had went by,he smiled seeing the mountain at the edge of the jungle.He stepped up onto the first ledge to begin climbing.Balancing his steps feeling the coolness of the mountain breeze as the sun had just went down and darkness filled the air.He steadied his feet finding a place to grab hold to with his hands.He looked up to find his next gripping spot to pull him self up onto the next boulder.Shiny jet black eyes stared him in his face.Teeth grinned as saliva dripped onto Tomanas’s face. Damp wet paws stepped onto his hands.A deepening sharp bark erupted scaring Tomanas,causing him to lose his grip and fall back down from whence he climbed.Falling through the air Tomanas heard the wind and felt his sins and in a moment his back had hit the ground.

       He wanted to get up and run but fear held his tormented body captive in stillness.So scared he could not move.The thought of eternity with no skin paralyzed his mind into sheer panic.Despair that is only known when one has come right to and at the brink point and the certain known moment of the knowledge of instant impending death.When you know it is there and not just a brush with or a close call, this time it is real and there is nothing anyone or anything can do to stop it.Tomanas closed his eyes as a child hiding under the bed afraid of an angry parent coming with a belt to inflict stinging pain.Heart pounding in his ears. Sweat in the middle of  his hands clasped together on his chest.Hoping that in his mind he could not be seen.Moments of peace passed by slowly as each moment felt of an eternity.Wetness touched his nose.He trembled afraid to look.Tomanas squinched his eyes tight,leaning his head on the hard ground sideways and peeked open one eye.Two shiny jet black eyes were staring into his.The cosumption began.